Brewing, start to finish
Nine short guides in the order you do the work. Each one says what is happening, what to do, and what goes wrong.
The process
Two choices come first: ale or lager. After that the steps are the same, with different temperatures.
- Ale
Ale is the place to start. The yeast works at room temperature, so you do not need a fridge, and the beer is ready to drink in a few weeks. - Lager
Lager is the same recipe idea as ale with one big change: it is fermented and stored cold, and it takes longer. The reward is a clean, crisp beer. - Mashing
Mashing is soaking crushed malted grain in hot water so its enzymes turn starch into sugars the yeast can eat. - Lautering
Lautering separates the sweet liquid from the grain husks. Done slowly and gently, it gives clear wort and a good yield. - Boiling
The boil sterilises the wort, concentrates it and is where the hops give their bitterness and aroma. - Fermentation
The yeast does the real brewing. Your job is to give it clean wort, enough oxygen at the start and a steady temperature. - Clearing
Cloudy beer tastes fine, but clear beer looks better. Time and cold do most of the work, and filtering is optional. - Secondary
Most beers do not need a secondary vessel. Knowing the few that do will save you work and reduce the chance of oxidation or infection. - Bottling
Bottling is cheap and portable. The yeast left in the beer makes the fizz from a measured dose of sugar added at bottling.
Tools to go with it
Work out strength, bitterness and colour before you brew, and gas and sugar before you package.